CVE-2019-14081 in Snapdragon Compute
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer Over-read when WLAN module gets a WMI message for SAR limits with invalid number of limits to be enforced in Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in APQ8098, IPQ8074, MSM8998, QCA8081, QCN7605, QCS605, SDA660, SDA845, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SM8150, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer over-read condition affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across various product lines including automotive, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, and mobile connectivity solutions. The flaw manifests when the WLAN module processes WMI (Wireless Module Interface) messages related to SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) limits, which are regulatory compliance measures governing radio frequency energy absorption in wireless devices. The vulnerability specifically occurs when the system receives WMI messages containing an invalid number of SAR limits to be enforced, creating a scenario where the buffer management logic fails to properly validate input parameters before processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the WLAN subsystem's message processing routines. When the system receives a malformed WMI message with incorrect SAR limit counts, the processing code attempts to read beyond allocated buffer boundaries, potentially accessing memory locations that do not belong to the intended data structure. This over-read condition can result in information disclosure, system instability, or potentially enable more sophisticated exploitation techniques depending on the memory layout and adjacent data structures. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Qualcomm chipsets including the APQ8098, IPQ8074, MSM8998, QCA8081, QCN7605, QCS605, SDA660, SDA845, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SM8150, and SXR1130 processors, indicating a fundamental flaw in the wireless subsystem implementation across multiple generations of Qualcomm's mobile and networking solutions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it can compromise the security and stability of devices running on affected chipsets. Mobile devices, IoT sensors, automotive systems, and industrial connectivity solutions that rely on these Qualcomm processors may experience unexpected behavior including system crashes, application instability, or potential information leakage that could reveal sensitive system information. The vulnerability's presence in both consumer and industrial product lines suggests that attackers could potentially exploit this condition to gain unauthorized access to device memory, potentially extracting cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other sensitive data. Additionally, the widespread nature of affected chipsets means that numerous device manufacturers could be impacted, creating a significant attack surface across multiple industries.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and bounds checking within the WLAN subsystem's WMI message processing logic. System vendors should prioritize firmware updates that correct the buffer over-read condition by ensuring that all incoming WMI messages containing SAR limit data are properly validated before processing. Security patches should include enhanced error handling mechanisms that prevent memory access beyond allocated buffers and implement robust parameter validation for all WMI message types. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array indices, and may also relate to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous WMI message patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of vendor-provided security updates across all affected device fleets.